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Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Chase Bank Continues Intown Expansion

Thanks to my friends at Decatur Metro for the tip on this neighborhood news.

Chicago, Illinois-based Chase Bank plans to continue their Atlanta expansion with the opening of a freestanding location at Selig's Publix-anchored Emory Commons shopping center. The center sits at the corner of North Decatur and Clairmont Roads and is frequented by Emory students as well as intown residents from nearby Decatur.

The new Chase will open in place of what was a Chapter 11 Bookstore in the 90s and later became Blue Elephant Book Shop. The former bookstore space was demolished earlier today and the new Chase will be built as an outparcel of the center rather than being connected to other tenants.

I grew up not far from this center and have witnessed plenty of changes at the center over the years. The anchor space currently occupied by Publix Supermarket used to be an A & P ( The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company ) until the grocery stores complete exit from the Atlanta market in the late 90s. The new Petco used to be a Blockbuster Video while other tenants like The Sport Shoe were replaced with a UPS Store.

Chase Bank inherited 55 branches when it purchased the banking operations of WaMu ( Washington Mutual ) in 2008 and Chase has steadily grown their local presence in the time since.

Over the past couple years Chase has grown their branch network heavily in the metro by taking advantage of shuttered restaurants and video stores, among other businesses. On the cusp of Buckhead, at the corner of Collier and Howell Mill Roads, the bank demolished a former Blockbuster Video and opened a new branch in its place earlier this year. In East Cobb, the bank demolished what was built as a Donatos Pizza in the early late 90s and later became a Flying Biscuit Cafe, to build a freestanding branch.

Both Chase Bank and Chick-fil-A hoped to open new locations side by side on the former Hastings property on Peachtree in Brookhaven but with Brookhaven now a city, new development has been anything but easy.

When and where will Chase build next? What do you think of this use of prime corner space at Emory Commons? What are your thoughts on news that Selig has secured all necessary permits for their planned Walmart at Suburban Plaza and that construction will being early next year? Please weigh in and share your thoughts.